Those winter scarves had started to feel like nooses.
But at last, the clocks jumped ahead and the sun gave up its grudge against us. No longer must bicycles park in piles of snow, and the sidewalks aren’t games of ice-patch hopscotch.
You can almost hear a collective sigh of relief in town. Many of us would bow at the feet of spring if we could. And although seasons don’t have legs, they can make us feel like we have new ones.
As plant life rises from its coma, we encourage the greenery with a holiday that showcases shamrocks and gold-obsessed fairies.
And everywhere is Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, so don’t fret over your ethnic background. You can embrace the spirit in many ways, whether quietly eating a certain marshmallow cereal or violently pinching someone you thought wore the wrong color.
“It’s on my socks, you jerk!”
That might call for an apology, possibly in liquid form. While ale is Paddy’s traditional beverage, the dark malt isn’t for all. The clover inspires more inventive drinks, and the Collegiate Times conducted a contest with several
Blacksburg bars to give its (of-age) readers a glimpse of the creativity.
My roommates and I acted as judges. Ryan Chamberlain and Natalie Watson are both fifth-year architecture majors. While by no means experts, we have several years of consumption on our resumes.
As homage to the research papers I’ve read as a communication major, we used a 5-point “Likert scale” to rank the flavors. We averaged the responses; rounding to the nearest quarter for a final verdict.
Statement: My taste buds reacted with the enthusiasm of Riverdance performers.
Answer: (1) strongly disagree, (2) disagree, (3) neutral, (4) agree and (5) strongly agree.
Awful Arthur’s “The Buttery Leprechaun”
I wasn’t sure if Lindsey Moloznik was a bartender or a laboratory technician. She hovered over the glass, carefully preparing the drink like the ingredients were combustible chemicals. The liquids rested in distinct layers, accomplished by an artful pouring method. (A cherry assisted the process, but I won’t share how.)
The rich end product didn’t bring to mind test tubes, however, and this was the only entry not meant for sipping.
Ingredients:
Baileys Irish Cream
Butterscotch schnapps
Creme de menthe
Thoughts:
Arnold: Knowing the drink originates from a “buttery nipple,” I couldn’t help but imagine a shirtless leprechaun. Chug this shooter for a creamy greeting and a minty farewell.
Chamberlain: It had the taste, texture and tones that an Irish drink should. A nice creamy start and a fresh mint finish to this one made it go down silky smooth.
Watson: Yum. A great twist on a “buttery nipple.” I wanted to savor the lingering flavors; it was gone too quickly. I like the creamy nature and smooth finish of Baileys. I also enjoyed the bartender’s delicate preparation.
Grade: 4.75
Boudreaux’s “The Tully Julep”
“The last time I was in the CT, they spelled my name ‘Smell,’” said Boudreaux’s manager Bobby Snell.
Thankfully, Snell is forgiving and welcomed us to sit at the seven-seat downstairs bar. The chandelier of different glasses above our heads and piano jazz music provided a classy aura. And with all three judges wearing some sort of flannel, we could have better complemented the sharp setting.
Snell crafted a variation of the “mint julep,” whose primary alcohol is usually bourbon.
Ingredients:
Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey
Creme de menthe
Simple syrup
Crushed mint
Thoughts:
Arnold: Whiskey often feels like ninja stars on my esophagus, but the Tully Julep was gentle going down the pipes. The simple syrup calmed the Tullamore Dew kick, and the mint patiently waiting at the bottom was a refreshing finish.
Chamberlain: While a typical whiskey drink can be stiff for my taste, this was surprisingly smooth from the beginning and only got better as I continued with pauses between sips.
Watson: I’m not a fan of whiskey — actually, I despise it. This drink had a strong scent and a strong taste, which at first turned me off. However, with every sip I took, the drink got smoother and smoother. It was pleasantly surprising.
Grade: 3.5
Poor Billy’s “Irish Dream Martini”
Poor Billy’s certainly has unique decorations. Atop the back bar, a wire-framed lighted moose glows while sporting flowers, beads and a hat themed for St. Patrick’s Day. Bartender Courtney Robertson said the mammal slips into new gear for each holiday.
It watched over Robertson as she used chocolate syrup to carefully draw a four-leaf clover in a martini glass. The decor was a playful base to a drink that recalled childhood fundraising.
Ingredients:
Vodka
Creme de menthe
Godiva liqueur
Thoughts:
Arnold: It’s a Thin Mint with attitude. I imagined a Girl Scout mother unwinding with the Irish Dream Martini after enduring her daughter’s cookie sales all day.
Chamberlain: It’s a great beverage to sip on — probably even better for a drink with dessert. The “mixologist” for this one definitely got the taste of a Thin Mint
spot on.
Watson: It smelled and tasted exactly like a Thin Mint Girl Scout cookie. They are my favorite, so naturally I was a big fan of this drink. The drink was a perfect mix of mint flavor, chocolate and liquor.
Grade: 4.5
Big Al’s “Irish Trashcan”
Try to frown at a bar whose employees serenade each other with late ’90s hits like “All My Life” by R&B artists K-Ci and JoJo. The soundtrack also included acts as polarized as Guns N’ Roses and Montell Jordan. It was an eclectic mix, not unlike the drink that bartender Yuki Nakame whipped together.
Manager Andrea Weddle said Red Bull provided the recipe, a partnership that makes sense when you notice the tables made of giant Red Bull cans.
Ingredients:
Vodka
Rum
Gin
Triple sec
Blue Curacao
Peach schnapps
Red Bull
Arnold: The Red Bull disguised all the other devious ingredients that could send you to a literal trashcan. Proceed with caution.
Chamberlain: I’m not the biggest Red Bull fan, and it was definitely the dominant flavor. It masked the plethora of alcohol in the drink though, so if all you’re looking for is to stumble home, a few of these should do the trick.
Watson: I don’t really like Red Bull. (Man, I’m making myself seem like a very picky drinker.) This drink was sweet — but not too sweet — and dangerous. Despite an abundance of liquor, it was smooth and had a great finish. Also, the “trashcan” presentation was clever.
Grade: 3.75